We received 240 responses in this consultation - thank you to those households who submitted feedback.

Results showed:

On sealed roads, 64% of ratepayers and residents supported the proposed Council rubbish and recycling collections in their community (141 votes total).

On unsealed roads, 50% of ratepayers and residents supported the proposed Council rubbish and recycling collections in their community (10 votes total).

Following consultation and the resulting adoption of the extension, households on sealed roads in Ngākuru, Horohoro and Upper Ātiamuri received rubbish and recycling bins with an information booklet on how to use the service. The service was planned to start in these areas from mid-January 2022.

Extending the service to unsealed roads was not part of the Waste Services team’s recommendation, due to the low and inconsistent response rate from households on these roads (20 responses total with 50/50 split of those in support/not supportive).

Background

Rotorua Lakes Council aims to provide Rotorua households with access to convenient, economical and sustainable waste services. Feedback indicated that residents in Ngākuru, Upper Ātiamuri and Horohoro were interested in receiving a waste collection service that would be paid for through their rates.

All other rural, lakes and urban areas in the Rotorua District, except for Ngākuru, Upper Ātiamuri and Horohoro, had a waste service through Council. Rubbish and recycling collections were successful in other rural areas of Rotorua. We wanted to know if we should be extending this service to Ngākuru, Upper Ātiamuri and Horohoro.

Cost of the new service

The waste service is a targeted annual rate of $221.27 per dwelling on the property. This rate is the same across the district.